The Ruffs were a bunch of guys who used to drink in the Golden Cross in Billinghay,
Trevor was the landlord and on Friday nights we would often stay back and have a
sing-song.

We really wanted to sing a song about Billinghay but just couldn't find anyone who
knew one.

It was then Trevor hit on the idea of scribbling a song down and having it ready
for the following Friday. So Carl Broughton, Mick Brommell and Glynn Pout set about
the task. And there it was the "Billinger Ruff" in all its glory .

Mick had heard on BBC Lincolnshire that a folk song competition (Write a song for
Lincolnshire) was asking for entries. We sent the song off and found ourselves in
the finals, playing to a live audience at Spilsby theatre....... OK so we didn't
win, however we came away with the musician's union performance prize.

After this, much to our surprise, people asked us to come along to their functions
and sing the song they had heard on the radio. With a repertoire of one song we
knew we really couldn't put on a show. That was where Trevor came in, he joined
the Ruffs in 2002 and has widened the range of the songs that the Ruffs now perform.

Ever since then it has been a roller coaster ride for the Ruffs, playing venues from
10 people at an old peoples home to performing at the new ASDA store in Boston, all
the way to Pete's Candy Store in Brooklyn, New York. All of the Ruffs performances
always donate a percentage of the proceeds to charity. Also with CD and merchandise
sales, an amount of the profit is also donated.